Draft-rigging key retainer



June 11, 1930. G, LEWIS' 1,763,975

DRAFT RIGGING KEY RETAINER Filed Nov. 14 1925 1 I l T" l I i l i I I I J-1 l I l 1 J fi- J WW5 i I7w672$f 000M 4. Lama's rivets 12.

Paten ted June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GOODRICH Q. LEWIS,'- OF WHEATON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO W. H. INQ, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE DRAFT-BIGGING KEY RETAINER Application filed November 14, 1925. Serial No. 69,013.

This invention relates to improvements in draft rigging key retainers.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a readily detachable, reliable retaining means for draft rigging keys, of exceedingly simple design, adapted to be attached directly to the key.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a retaining means for the connecting key of a draft rigging in the form of a non-shearable washer adapted to be directly applied to one end of the key.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully and clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

in the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a side, elevational view, part-1y broken away and partly in section, of a portion of a railway draft rigging, showing my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a vertical, transverse, sectional view corresponding substantially to the line 22 of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a detailed, perspective view of the nonshearable washer proper.

111 said drawings, 10, 10 indicate the usual channel shaped center or draft sills of a rail way car underframe provided with the usual front and rear stop lugs. The front stop lugs only are shown in the drawings, the same being designated by 11, 11. The stop lugs are secured to the inner face of the draft sills in any suit-able manner, preferably by The inner end portion of the drawbar is designated by 13, to which is connected the usual yoke 14. The drawbar and the yoke are provided with the usual key receiving openings 15 and 16. The draft sills, have the usual longitudinally extending transverse aligned key receiving openings 17 therein. The front stop lugs 11 are also provided with openings 18 adapted to accommodate the usual key.

In carrying out my invention, I preferably employ a key 19 of the headed type for connecting the yoke to the drawbar, the key being of such a length as to extend through the openings 17 of the draft sills and project outwardly beyond the sides of the sills.

The key 19 has a head 20 at one end thereof adapted to co-operate with the outer side of the corresponding draft sill 10 to limit endwise movement of the key in one direction. Atthe opposite end, the key outwardly of the corresponding sill is transversely slotted as indicated at 21. The slots 21 are disposed at'the top andbottom sides of the key and are in vertical alignment.

My improvel retaining means proper comprises a U-shaped washer A, a clip B, and a retainer bolt The U-shaped washer A has the arms 22 thereof disposed in parallel relation, the arms being united at one end by a transverse section 23. As most clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3, the arms 22 are of substantially rectangular cross-section and have top and bottom ribs 24 on the inner sides thereof. The free ends of the arms are provided with aligned openings 124, 124 adapted to receive the retainer bolt C. The arms are of such a width as to fit within the corresponding top and bottom grooves 21 of the key 19 and are so spaced as to accommodate the grooved section of the-key therebetween. It willbe evident that when the Ushaped washer A is assembled with the key. 19, the arms will be engaged within the slots 21, thereby preventing movement of the washer endwise of the key. The transverse section 23 of the key co-operates with one of the side edges of the key to limit transverse movement of the washer with reference to the former. Transverse movement of the washer with reference to the key in the reverse direction is prevented by the bolt C when assembled with the former. Although the bolt C alone will prevent removal of the washer from the key, I preferably employ the clip B in connection with the bolt to retain the washer on the key.

The clip B is in the form of a sheet metal strip having a vertical section 25 and top and bottom, horizontally disposed sections 26 adapted to be accommodated between the. arms of the member A and the head and nut of the bolt respectively. Whenthe parts are assembled with the clip B in position,

the same is so arranged that the section 25 such a width that it will engagetheLadjacent side edge of the key 19, thereby maintaining v the shank of the bolt G in spaced relation to said edge. In addition to serving as an abutof the key, the clip B also dental removal of the nut of t e bolt, a cerment member cooperating with the side edge revents accltain amount of friction being created between theclip and the nut due to the resiliency of the former.

By providing the free ends of the arms of the U-shaped clip, thearms may be drawn together into tight clamping engagement with the corresponding top and bottom faces of the key 19, thereby positively preventing movement of the,

washer transversely of the key.

In the drawings, I have chosen to illustrate my invention as employed in connection with a couplerconnecting key of the headed type, but my. improvements are'not nection with a key of the latter type, it is merely necessary to duplicate the retaining means at the opposite ends of the key and provide the ends with the necessary transverse slots.

Heretofore it, has been the general practice to employ a cotter pin at the end of a key opposite to the head to retain the key in assembled relation with the draft rigging. Such cotters are subject to constant wear and. their life is comparatively short. When the cotter pin has been thus worn, the key is left free to work out, thus endan' ering the operation of the train. With my esign, the retaining means are of such a heavy construction that danger of the same shearing off is entirely overcome, and accidental removal of the coupler key is entirely eliminated. It will be evident that the bolt C employed for retaining the non-she'arable washer C in assembled relation with the key is not subject to any wear or stress.

' While I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope'of the claims appended hereto. I

I claim: 1. .In a key structure for railway draft riggings including draft sills having alined key receiving openings, the combination with a connecting key member adapted to be accommodated in said openings and have the ends thereof pro'ecting beyond the outer sides of the sills, sai key member being of elongated cross section and of greater width than thickness and having a head at one end and 'tween,'said arms being spaced apart a dis tance equal to the thickness of'the' section of the key adjacent said outstanding shoulders ing means to the key, and being engageable with the key by sliding the retaining means transversely of the key across the width of the latter; and detachable means at the free ends of said arms for connecting the same and drawing the arms together to clamp the retaining'means tightly to the key.

2. In a key structure for railway draft riggings including spaced draft sills having alined key receiving openings, the combinationwith a'key member of oblong cross section, said key member being of greater Width than height and adapted to work in said openings of the sills and have the opposite ends thereof extending outwardly of the sides of the sills, said key member being headed at one end and having the top and bottom surfaces thereof transversely grooved adjacent the other end, said grooves extending entirely across the key; of a U-shaped retaining element secured to the grooved end of said key outwardly of the corresponding sill, said U- shaped element having the arms thereof .disposed horizontally above and below the key and embracing the same, the arms throughout their length-being spaced apart a distance less than the height of the key before application to the key and also after application thereof and fitting in the grooves of said key whenapplied, the transverse section of said U-shaped element connecting said arms extending across one side edge of the key; and detachable connecting means with the free ends of said arms, said connecting means closing the. open end of the U-shaped member and cooperating with the opposite side edge of the key to prevent accidental removal of the U-shaped element transversely of the key.

3. A draft key of the elongated flat type having a notch formed in oneof the wide faces adjacent one end of the key, said notch being of greater length than half of-the width of the key and being adapted to receive a 

